The integration of work between an SCC mirror committee and an SCC-accredited SDO committee related to standards development involving the preparation of Canadian and international standards documents and deliverables with the objective of achieving the greatest practicable degree of commonality in accordance with policies and procedures of SCC and the applicable SDO.

Note: Harmonization of SCC mirror committees with the technical committee of an SCC-accredited SDO is done in accordance with CAN-P-1005 - Operational requirements for granting and maintaining SCC/SDO harmonization. 

1. Review applications
2. Compile short-list of candidates
3. Phone screen interviews
4. Conduct interviews
5. Check references
6. Offer employment
7. Advise interviewed candidates not selected

Most job opportunities remain open until the position is filled; however, SCC reserves the right to remove the job posting at any time.  It is recommended that you visit the site often to keep up-to-date with our job openings.

Please make sure to tell the HR representative of your special accommodation needs when you are contacted for an interview.

SCC-accredited SDOs are fully expected to continue their long-standing coordination practice to avoid duplication within the Canadian standards development environment and to promote opportunities for harmonization wherever possible.

The Requirements & Guidance – Accreditation of Standards Development Organizations directly address possible duplication of standards in the system (Clause 4.3, Avoiding Duplication):

“SDOs shall make every effort to address the need of the Canadian stakeholder(s) and to not duplicate or overlap with the work of other SDOs, or relevant international or regional SDOs.”

The Duplication Resolution Mechanism was updated as part of the 2017 revision of the Requirements & Guidance – Accreditation of Standards Development Organizations with the goal of reaching a timely outcome and a decision that is responsive to Canadian stakeholder needs. These updates include a more proactive role for SCC to facilitate discussions between SDOs, the introduction of specific evaluation criteria, a clearer complaint and appeal process, and a compliance and verification process with Action Plan (issued following SCC decision on duplication).

SCC’s role is to support the standardization priorities of government and industry in Canada, and, as such, welcome comments and suggestions by stakeholders on approaches to avoid duplication of efforts.

No it does not. The standards from these organizations do not necessarily meet the SCC Requirements & Guidance for Standards Development Organizations (SDOs). SDOs can bring their standards under SCC oversight as National Standards of Canada (NSCs) after they ensure SCC’s requirements have been met.

Volunteering helps both the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and its members. The SCC benefits because the work of members increases its capacity to accomplish its national strategic goals, objectives and plans. Members benefit because volunteering provides them with opportunities for professional development, access to committee work and expertise in standardization.

Candidates wishing to apply for a volunteer position are required to be either a Canadian citizen or resident of Canada, or working for a Canadian organization. 

The main difference between SCC and government regulators is that SCC promotes the use of voluntary standards whereas government regulators use mandatory regulations that require others to follow a set of obligations.

Voluntary standards are developed through consensus among stakeholders in a particular field. Stakeholders may include industry, government and the public.

One example of a voluntary standard is the plug. Electronics manufacturers agree to use the same kind of plug on all equipment and, as a result, plugs on electronic devices fit in all outlets.

One example of a mandatory regulation is nutrition labels on packaged food which are a mandatory requirement of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Canada’s national standardization network is the network of people and organizations involved in voluntary standards development, promotion and implementation in Canada.

There are hundreds of organizations accredited by SCC to look after the day-to-day work of standards development, certification of persons, calibration and proficiency testing, management systems registration, and auditor training and certification.

Other government and non-governmental bodies also take part in the national standardization network. Some of these participate in accreditation programs as SCC partners. Others work on standards-related issues such as international trade agreements.

Almost 15,000 volunteers from industry, government, non-governmental organizations and the general public are involved in developing standards. Volunteers also provide their expertise to accreditation programs and advisory committees. Even the members of SCC’s Governing Council are volunteers. The employers who support the work of these volunteers are important contributors to the national standardization network.

SCC protects the integrity of ISO and IEC standards in Canada and prevents their unauthorized reproduction. A business or organization who wants to share a standard with its employees or reproduce the standard, in whole or in part, or a student who wants to reproduce part of a standard for their thesis may request permission from SCC.

For information on reproducing or sharing ISO or IEC standards, visit Buy Standards. For any other standard, we recommend that you contact the relevant standards developer directly.

Academic Institutions

SCC provides a valuable service to eligible academic institutions in Canada by offering access to ISO and IEC standards through its Standards in Education program. Direct, easy access to ISO and IEC standards helps students gain a better understanding of the standardization process, produce higher quality academic work and be better qualified to enter the workforce.

Visit the Standards in Education program for more information.

Non Academic Institutions

Any purchased standard will need permission in order to reproduce or copy.

It is possible to make ONE printed copy of a PDF standard with purchase of a PDF standard.

Additional hard copies beyond the one hard copy one is entitled to upon purchase, permission must be received from SCC and a royalty fee paid. 

If you wish to post the electronic version of the standard on a company's intranet, you will need to obtain permission from SCC and pay a royalty fee.  The fee depends on a number of factors such as; the number of people who will have access to the standard, the number of addresses (offices) where the standard will be available, and which standards you wish to post

In order to receive permission to reproduce or copy a standard, contact csd@scc.ca.

Valid

An ORD with a status of Valid has been recognized by a Canadian regulatory authority body and has been provided to SCC for inclusion in the ORD database.

Expired

An ORD with a status of Expired has exceeded its five-year validity period. All certifications issued to this document while it was valid are still acceptable. No new certifications to this document shall be granted.

Withdrawn

An ORD with a status of Withdrawn has been rescinded by its authoring organization. No new certifications to this document shall be granted.

A standard may be withdrawn if it:

• is not technically up-to-date
• does not reflect current practice or research
• is not suitable for new and existing applications (products, systems or processes)
• is not compatible with current views and expectations regarding quality, safety and the environment

This status is also used if:

• the standard is withdrawn and not replaced by the author for any of the reasons mentioned above
• there has been a change in the standard designation (e.g. if CSA A1234-2000 is superseded by CSA B5678-2005)

Superseded

An ORD with a status of Superseded has been replaced by another document. No new certifications to this document shall be granted.

Notes:

An ORD with a status of Valid will automatically change to Expired once the expiry date has passed.

When an ORD status indicates Superseded, you will find the details on the new document in the “Superseded By” field.

Standardization is the development and application of standards. It includes:

• the work of the committees that develop standards
• the publication of standards by standards development organizations
• the recognition of standards by national standards bodies such as SCC
• the application of standards by businesses, suppliers and customers
• the verification that products or services conform to applicable standards (conformity assessment)
• the accreditation of organizations that provide conformity assessment services
• the use of standards and conformity assessment as an element in public policy as well as in international trade

For more information, visit SCC’s orientation module Introduction to Standards and the Standards Council of Canada.

Standards are developed through consensus by participating committees of affected stakeholders that may include representatives from industry, governments, academia and the public interest. These committees are organized and managed by an organization that specializes in the development of standards. In Canada, standards development organizations are accredited by the SCC.

For more information, visit SCC’s orientation module Introduction to Standards and the Standards Council of Canada.

International standards are developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). SCC coordinates Canada's input in international standardization work.

For more information, visit SCC’s orientation module Introduction to Canadian Participation in ISO and IEC.

For more information on how a standard is developed, visit Developing Standards.

SCC is a non-profit Crown Corporation and fees for its accreditation programs are in place for cost-recovery purposes. Each applicant pays an application fee and an assessment fee. Once accredited, a customer pays an annual fee and is responsible for the fees of the reassessment activities carried out by SCC. Travel and accommodation costs of the assessment team are aligned with Treasury Board of Canada guidelines. These fees are presented more specifically in the Fee Structure annexes of the program-specific Accreditation Agreement which is available on request.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC), in partnership with the Communications Security Establishment (link is external) (CSE), offers accreditation for information technology (IT) security evaluation and testing laboratories. The CSE is a federal government agency that delivers information technology security solutions to the Canadian government. SCC provides formal recognition of competence of laboratories that perform testing in the following areas:

• Biometric device testing
• Common criteria product and system evaluations
• ITS product reviews
• Secure electronic commerce application evaluations
• Specialized commercial security device testing
• Vulnerability and tiger team testing

SCC does not develop standards or verify the conformity of products or services to standards but rather accredits the organizations that do. To find a certification body, visit the appropriate accreditation program on our website. 

In principle, the vast majority of Canadian and international standards are voluntary.

In practice, the demands of the marketplace make many standards mandatory. A bolt manufacturer whose products do not fit a standard nut, for example, will probably not have many customers.

Buyers who want to assess whether their suppliers provide goods that conform to standards have a number of options. They may take supplier’s word for it. They may check the products themselves. They may also insist that the supplier ask an independent third party to verify the products conformity. These third parties often indicate conformity by putting their own label, or mark, on the product.

Government regulators make a standard mandatory by referring to it in legislation. Provincial and territorial electrical codes, for example, require electrical products to conform to Canadian electrical safety standards. Under these regulations, products cannot be sold unless they have been tested and certified by a recognized conformity assessment body.

One way of recognizing conformity assessment bodies is through accreditation. SCC is Canada’s national accreditation body for organizations that provide standards-related conformity assessment services.

For more information visit SCC’s orientation module, Accreditation: Where Standards, quality and conformity meet about the value and importance of accreditation. SCC also has a searchable directory of accredited certification bodies. 

Certificates issued by a certification body typically include an identifying logo of an accreditation body on them. Using the name on the logo, you can check the accreditation body’s website for a directory of accredited certification bodies. Contact the certification body that issued the certificate to verify its validity.

Certification bodies accredited by SCC are listed in SCC’s Directory of Accredited Certification Bodies, however it does not contain information on certificates issued by the certification bodies.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) offers accreditation to laboratories that perform the analysis of all media used in mining exploration and processing. SCC provides formal recognition of competence of laboratories conducting mineral and mineral assay analysis in support of the mining and mining exploration industries. In order to add even greater value to its accreditation program, SCC accredits both single-element and multiple-element test methods for a wide variety of metals. SCC offers accreditation in the following mineral analysis disciplines:

• sediments
• rocks
• ores
• metal products
• tailings
• water
• vegetation

SCC provides formal recognition of competence for laboratories calibrating measuring instruments and reference standards for areas of metrology, including:

• Acoustics and vibration
• Dimensional
• Electrical
• Frequency and time
• Ionizing radiation
• Mechanical
• Photometric and radiometric
• Temperature
• Other

For more information For more information, please contact SCC Accreditation Services at accreditation@scc.ca. Laboratories seeking accreditation under this program should apply directly to NRC/CLAS.

NRC/CLAS contact

Christine de Groot, P.Eng.
Leader, Assessment Services, NRC Metrology
christine.degroot@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca, 1-613-998-6813

Accreditation is the formal verification of an organization's competence to carry out a specific function. SCC is Canada’s national accreditation body. It accredits testing and calibration laboratories, medical laboratories, inspection bodies, greenhouse-gas verifiers and validators, and organizations that develop standards. SCC also accredits organizations that certify persons, as well as those that certify conformity of products, processes, systems and services.

Additionally, SCC is the only monitoring authority in Canada that grants recognition to the OECD Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) program.

Because SCC accreditation is based on internationally recognized criteria, SCC accreditation provides confidence and credibility in products, systems and services both in Canada and abroad.

For more information  visit SCC’s orientation module Accreditation: Where standards, conformity and quality meet.

An organization can self-proclaim certification or compliance to any standard.

While "self-certifying" or "self-declaring" compliance to a standard doesn't carry the same weight as third-party certification (e.g. SCC or CSA), organizations that do this are not actually doing anything wrong or illegal.

However, if you are concerned that a business is falsely claiming third-party certification, it is up to you to do your due diligence and verify the certification. For instance, if the organization says it is UL certified for ISO 9001, then UL would be able to verify that this is accurate.

To report such a situation, notify the owner of the logo or certification body. The certifying organization would then be responsible for ensuring the validity of the claim and for any next steps should the company be falsely claiming certification.

Any question or variation in a certification mark should be raised with the issuing body. Certificates issued by a certification body typically include an identifying logo of an accreditation body on them. Using the name on the logo, you can check the accreditation body’s website for a directory of accredited certification bodies. Contact the certification body that issued the certificate to verify its validity.

Certification bodies accredited by SCC are listed in SCC’s Directory of Accredited Certification Bodies, however it does not contain information on certificates issued by the certification bodies.

SCC is well-respected in Canada and around the world and consistently delivers high-quality and rigorous accreditation services.

As a member and signatory to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC), and the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC), SCC can assess according to ISO standards and is subject to regular evaluation itself.  Accreditation by SCC helps certification bodies deliver services with confidence.

The benefits of accreditation are many. Accreditation can help:

• Improve your product’s  or system’s quality and safety
• Demonstrate your market accountability
• Bring you global recognition
• Reduce costs and increase efficiency
• Reduce your risk
• Offer you a competitive advantage

This program specialty area (PSA) applies to the accreditation of laboratories conducting tests and measurements on threaded fasteners and providing services that support fastener production, such as plating, producers of material destined for fastener manufacture, and commercial laboratories offering testing services. Testing conducted in the fasteners PSA is divided into five major areas:

• Chemical analysis
• Mechanical and physical testing and inspection
• Non-destructive inspection
• Dimensional inspection
• Metallography

Any complaints with an accredited organization must be submitted in writing to that organization. If it is not handled to the satisfaction of the complainant, it can be raised with SCC. SCC will review the accredited organization’s handling of the complaint from a process perspective. Please note that SCC can only deal with complaints regarding the requirements (standards) to which the organization is accredited, and not in matters such as invoicing and compensation.

Contact SCC to determine if your existing accreditation can be transferred. If the accreditation body you are transferring from is a recognized signatory of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the process of transferring is that much easier.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) offers accreditation to laboratories that undertake forensic testing. One of the key activities forensic laboratories undertake is the testing of physical evidence often at a crime scene or the scene of an accident. In addition to testing the evidence and issuing reports, forensic scientists frequently provide testimony on the test results for judicial applications. To ensure that this evidence stands up to scrutiny in court, it is imperative that the testing methods used by the laboratory have proven and documented credibility. Accreditation provides assurance that a forensic laboratory has adhered to recognized practices and standards. Forensic accreditation is one of 10 SCC Accreditation Program Specialty Areas. SCC offers accreditation in the following forensic disciplines:

• Biology/DNA analysis
• Chemistry/Trace analysis
• Counterfeits
• Drug chemistry
• Equine drug testing
• Explosives
• Firearms and tool marks
• Questioned documents examination
• Toxicology

Mandatory requirements for building products are the responsibility of the Canadian provincial and territorial code authorities. Below are links to each provincial building code authorities:

Alberta Building Code
British Columbia Building and Safety Standards
Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner
New Brunswick Environment and Land Planning
Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Municipal Affairs
Northwest Territories Public Works and Services
Nova Scotia Building and Plumbing Code
Nunavut Protection Services
Ontario Building Code
Prince Edward Island Building and Development
Quebec Régie du bâtiment
Saskatchewan Building Standards and Licensing
Yukon Building Safety

Plumbing fixtures of any kind, including sinks and bathtubs, must comply with the requirements outlined in the National Plumbing Code (NPC) as adopted by provincial and territorial authorities. 

Canadian provinces and territories are responsible for adopting the NPC, enforcing the mandatory requirements and confirming the acceptable certification marks for plumbing products, similar to electrical safety certification marks.

For technical questions on code requirements, we suggest contacting the Canadian provincial or territorial enforcing regulatory body or bodies.

In Canada, information on importing and exporting can be obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Information on requirements that apply to imported products (such as whether they need to be certified as meeting particular standards) can be obtained from government organizations that administer these requirements. To search for the relevant mandatory requirements that apply to your product, refer to the database on the Canadian Legal Information website.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy. CBSA is responsible for the initial import inspection of food, agricultural inputs and agricultural products. The CFIA sets the policies and regulations for these importations and they are enforced by CBSA at Canadian entry points. As required, shipments are referred to the CFIA for follow-up action. A CFIA veterinarian inspects most importations of live animals on entry.

Environmentally conscious consumers increasingly demand that their wood-based products come from sustainably farmed forests and that they are manufactured in an environmentally sound way. Certification to forestry management standards by an SCC-accredited body shows corporate social responsibility—a testament that the producer operates in a sustainable way that ensures a renewable supply of raw materials. SCC accredits organizations that certify to ATFS, SFI and CAN/CSA Z809. 

An anti-bribery management system can help organizations prevent, detect and address bribery. It helps to reduce the risk of bribery occurring and can demonstrate to clients and stakeholders that an organization has put in place internationally recognized good-practice anti-bribery controls. SCC can accredit certification bodies that audit to ISO 37001. 

Business continuity management systems empowers organizations to respond more effectively and recover more swiftly to disruptions. It provides a framework to help identify an organization’s risk of exposure to internal and external threats. It helps organizations understand what needs to be done to prepare for unexpected events, set goals for business continuity, and put controls and measures in place to manage risks. It also includes monitoring and reviewing the performance of the business continuity plan to make sure it works well.

The Standards Council of Canada accredits certification bodies that assess and certify business continuity management systems to the ISO 22301 – Security and resilience – Business continuity management systems standard.

The Standards Council of Canada’s (SCC’s) Energy Management Systems Accreditation Program assesses the competence of bodies that intend to certify organizations in their implementation of the international standard, ISO 50001 – Energy Management Systems.

By establishing energy management systems and processes in accordance with ISO 50001, organizations can improve their overall energy performance, including energy efficiency, use and consumption. These improvements can lead to significant energy cost savings, as well as reduce an organization’s greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint), and other adverse environmental impacts.

SCC’s Energy Management Systems Accreditation Program accredits certification bodies that certify energy management systems in the following sectors:

•          Commercial buildings

•          Light and medium industry

•          Heavy industrial

•          Transportation

•          Building complex energy use

•          Energy providers

An environmental management system verifies the impact of an organization’s activities on the environment. Such systems help organizations to establish environmental goals and targets, and to evaluate how well they are being achieved.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) accredits certification bodies that assess and certify environmental management systems to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard.

View expected outcomes for accredited certification to ISO 14001

The Standards Council of Canada is the only Canadian organization recognized to grant accreditation under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF program). This program aims to improve the accuracy and reliability of certain food testing through the uniformity of standards and enhanced FDA oversight.

Under the fully implemented program, only LAAF-accredited laboratories will be able to conduct food testing for the U.S. market in certain circumstances that are defined in the Food Safety Modernization Act final rule on Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Food.
 

SCC offers accreditation for cannabis testing labs in Canada and beyond. The applicable standard is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. During the accreditation process, we can assess competence to perform multiple tests important to the cannabis industry, including but not limited to:

• Quantification of multiple types of cannabinoids, including THC, CBD, CBN, etc.
• Pesticide residue screening
• Analysis of loss due to drying
• Identification of male and female cannabis plants
• Microbial analysis of cannabis samples
• Determination and profiling of terpenes

Accredited laboratories typically operate more efficiently and produce more accurate test results. Accreditation also sends an important signal to customers that testing is based on the latest, most accurate, validated methods.

This accreditation program provides formal recognition of competence of laboratories providing testing services that include, but are not limited to:

• Allergens analysis
• Organic and inorganic chemistry analysis
• Plant protection: bacterial, fungal, viral, viroid, and nematode, presence of disease and seeds analysis
• Qualitative and quantitative microbiological analysis
• Veterinary analysis for animal health testing   

SCC provides formal recognition of competence for laboratories calibrating measuring instruments and reference standards for areas of metrology, including:

• Acoustics and vibration
• Dimensional
• Electrical
• Frequency and time
• Ionizing radiation
• Mechanical
• Photometric and radiometric
• Temperature
• Other